Nonwoven fabrics are employed as cover sheets for absorbent underpads and similar articles. The present invention is directed to a less expensive substitute for such nonwoven fabrics and to a process for producing the same. The requirements of such a substitute are a relatively high degree of softness and absorbency coupled with sufficient wet strength to stand up to the expected use.
Lightweight tissue paper that has been made soft and absorbent (as by dry creping) is a possible candidate for such utility. However, in attempting to upgrade the wet strength sufficiently to qualify tissue paper for this use, it is difficult to retain the required softness and absorbency. The present invention is based upon the discovery of an effective process for producing soft and absorbent lightweight tissue paper having adequate wet strength to qualify it for use as an absorbent underpad cover.